Medical-Marijuana Business Ban Leading In Ft. Collins

A measure to ban medical-marijuana businesses in Fort Collins has the early lead in the first wave of results tonight, with 53.9 percent of voters favoring the city’s Question 300.

Meanwhile, a similar proposed ban in Palisade is currently behind.

Voters in towns from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope are deciding whether to prohibit medical-marijuana businesses in their communities.

At least six cities and one county have measures on the ballot that would ban medical-marijuana dispensaries, products-makers and commercial growing operations in their communities. The most significant of those is in Fort Collins, where city officials say 20 dispensaries are currently operating.

All told, the fate of 92 medical-marijuana operations — including 34 dispensaries — hangs in the balance, according to the most recently available lists of businesses that have applied for a license with the state’s Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division. The license applications do not necessarily mean those business are all up and running.

Colorado currently has about 730 dispensaries with license applications with the state, as well as about 300 applications of marijuana-infused products makers and about 1,100 commercial marijuana-growing operations. Growing operations must be connected to either a dispensary or a products-maker, and many such businesses have multiple growing locations.

Voters in at least six communities tonight are also deciding whether to place special taxes on medical-marijuana. Voters in Commerce City, for instance, are weighing whether to impose an extra 7 percent sales tax on all medical-marijuana, marijuana-infused products and marijuana paraphernalia sales.